from coach built to RV (1 Viewer)

[Welsh girl]

We are thinking of changing from a coach built to an RV, any advice, I know to look out for an LPG model but would like more room as we are fulltiming and want to spend the winter in France and the summer in britain.
We started with a van conversion and have got bigger each time going then to an avantgard to a sundance now we have a voyager and still want bigger!!! will we ever be satisfied???
Have started to yearn for the ease of living in an RV, huge water and waste tanks and just doing the loo trips with the cassette,as Tez is nearing 67 what are the restrictions on the licence when he gets to 70, he used to be an HGV driver, I could still drive it but prefer not to as I am frightened of the size of them for driving but would love to live in one.
We have toyed with the idea of buying 2 statics one here and one in France but why not take our home with us , we think????
Easier all round and no management site fees only the ones we are currently staying at.:thumb:

 

[hilldweller]

I know to look out for an LPG model

Maybe restricted if you want to go to Spain.

 

[Welsh girl]

Was just thinking of France but why not Spain?
Lots of funsters go to Spain for the winter, so I have read!!!

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[pappajohn]

Tez will need to take a medical at 70 to retain his catagory C (HGV) or C1 (7500kg) entitlement, then every three years (i think its three) after that.

fail the medical and he will be restricted to 3500kg...standard car licence.

DVLA can still refuse/delay the licence if there are any previous medical problems....heart etc !

 

[pappajohn]

Was just thinking of France but why not Spain?
Lots of funsters go to Spain for the winter, so I have read!!!

petrol is about the same extortionate price there as it is here, maybe slightly cheaper, and LPG can be hard to find...but slowly becoming more available i believe.

 

[Welsh girl]

Tez will need to take a medical at 70 to retain his catagory C (HGV) or C1 (7500kg) entitlement, then every three years (i think its three) after that.

fail the medical and he will be restricted to 3500kg...standard car licence.

DVLA can still refuse/delay the licence if there are any previous medical problems....heart etc !

Thanks for that, might have to rethink then, will have to change this current one as it is 4 ton anyway, didnt realise about the LPG though thanks for that as well:thumb:
No heart problems or any medical problems though, he let his HGV lapse 15 years ago when he took forced early retirement.

Can you get any Rv under 3500kg then?

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[motor roamin]

Hi Trish

Tez will need a medical at 70 to retain his C1 7.5 ton licence and that will be every year.

If he let his LGV lapse at 65 if he has a medical now he will get it back, that will open up all RV's to you, if he had a class 1 then you can tow up to the max your RV allows, if you want to look at mine you are more than welcome not with the view to buy but to get an idea of what you might like, there will be a few at Malvern mine included, it is up for sale as I am buying a bigger one but this is not a sales pitch.

Hope this helps a bit
If you need any more info feel free to call or PM me

Mobile 0797 4758989

All the best Rick

 

[pappajohn]

Thanks for that, might have to rethink then, will have to change this current one as it is 4 ton anyway, didnt realise about the LPG though thanks for that as well:thumb:
No heart problems or any medical problems though, he let his HGV lapse 15 years ago when he took forced early retirement.

Can you get any Rv under 3500kg then?

doubtful but if you can it will be smaller than what you have now :Sad:

another option would be a fifth wheel....

standard B1 car licence has no upper limit for towing as long as the train weight isnt exceeded.

could do as Alan did....he has a small truck which he had downrated to 3500kg, doesnt carry any load except the weight of the 5er hitch pin....maybe 600kg, yet the train weight remains at the original 9000kg, so he can tow a 5500kg trailer legally.
that would be a very big fifth wheel....maybe up to 40ft.

 

[pappajohn]

Rick, he let it lapse 15 years ago.....will he still be entitled to it back now ?

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[Hollyberry]

LPG info

There's LPG availability across several countries here:Link Removed

 

[motor roamin]

Thanks for that, might have to rethink then, will have to change this current one as it is 4 ton anyway, didnt realise about the LPG though thanks for that as well:thumb:
No heart problems or any medical problems though, he let his HGV lapse 15 years ago when he took forced early retirement.

Can you get any Rv under 3500kg then?

Should still be able to get it back with a medical.

I also noticed John mentioned a B1 licence he means a B+E not being picky John just you will look forever for a B1 dosn't exist

All the best Rick

 

[pappajohn]

Should still be able to get it back with a medical.

I also noticed John mentioned a B1 licence he means a B+E not being picky John just you will look forever for a B1 dosn't exist

All the best Rick

Ooops !!!! i know what i meant oh:

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[motor roamin]

Ooops !!!! i know what i meant oh:

Hi John, I thought you did just didn't want to confuse

All the best mate Rick

 

[Dodgey]

LPG, remeber these beasties are petrol first so no LPG doesn't stop you, just gets dear. Also, depending on age there are diesel RVs out there too, OK in an A class not so easy to find after 2004 ish, unless a pusher (rear engine) of course as all if I'm correct are diesels. C & B class' are available currently with diesels.

 

[scotjimland]

If I were planning on sitting on a site for 6 months in the UK and 6 months abroad I wouldn't buy an RV .. or indeed any motorhome..

I would have a large caravan with an equally large awning.. this gives just as much space as an RV.

Other benefits..
more choice of sites, lower maintenance bills, lower insurance, better MPG. a car to run around in.

Huge RV waste tanks are not a benefit if your parked up for more than a week or so. Even with a macerater the pumping distance is limited to about 30mts.. maybe a bit more, .. so you will have to tote it .. one way or the other.. or drive off the pitch to a dump point, .. .and if you are on a fully serviced pitch.. no benefit at all .. as you can pipe in the caravan waste and have service water to the aquaroll .

I'm not sure what you meant exactly .. so my advice is based on the assumption that you are not touring as much but more static on one or two sites during winter and summer.

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[olley]

LPG is restricted in more countries than just Spain, others are Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and Greece, and totally unavailable in Finland.
But don't let that worry you, because apart from Finland you can get it, it just that its not at every other service station as in Germany.

Spain has around 60+ now spread around the country, many on main routes, and in town's or city's. See here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ms...l=40.010787,-3.032227&spn=12.476936,18.413086

Ian

 

[scotjimland]

Another LPG consideration ..

It is not getting cheaper.. at around 80p it is still a lot cheaper than petrol but you only get about 80% MPG compared with petrol.. so if the RV does 10mpg on petrol that will be around 8mpg on LPG, it's certainly not the huge saving it used to be..

cost per mile using these figures.. LPG 80p Petrol 135p

at 10mpg on petrol it costs 60p per mile
at 8mpg using LPG it costs 45p per mile

so if not already converted to LPG a new conversion costing £3k+ would take about twenty thousands of miles to break even and who knows what the long term price trend will be, but I bet it will never go down. :Sad:

 

[hilldweller]

Was just thinking of France but why not Spain?
Lots of funsters go to Spain for the winter, so I have read!!!

LPG not so readily available in Spain, that's all.

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[keith]

Hi Trish

Tez will need a medical at 70 to retain his C1 7.5 ton licence and that will be every year.

No, only every 3 years. I'm 73 & just got my second license with C1.